And she conceived him,¹⁰ and retired with him to a far-off place.

And the throes came upon her¹¹ by the trunk of a palm. She said: “Oh, would that I had died ere this, and been a thing forgotten, forgotten quite!”

And one cried to her from below her:¹² “Grieve not thou, thy Lord hath provided a streamlet at thy feet:—

And shake the trunk of the palm-tree toward thee:¹³ it will drop fresh ripe dates upon thee.

Eat then and drink, and be of cheerful eye:¹⁴ and shouldst thou see a man,

Say,—Verily, I have vowed abstinence to the God of mercy.—To no one will I speak this day.”

Then came she with the babe to her people, bearing him. They said, “O Mary! now hast thou done a strange thing!

O sister of Aaron!¹⁵ Thy father was not a man of wickedness, nor unchaste thy mother.”

And she made a sign to them, pointing towards the babe. They said, “How shall we speak with him who is in the cradle, an infant?”

It said,¹⁶ “Verily, I am the servant of God; He hath given me the Book, and He hath made me a prophet;

And He hath made me blessed wherever I may be, and hath enjoined me prayer and almsgiving so long as I shall live;

And to be duteous to her that bare me: and he hath not made me proud, depraved.

And the peace of God was on me the day I was born, and will be the day I shall die, and the day I shall be raised to life.”

This is Jesus, the son of Mary; this is a statement of the truth concerning which they doubt.

It beseemeth not God to beget a son. Glory be to Him! when he decreeth a thing, He only saith to it, Be, and it Is.¹⁷

And verily, God is my Lord and your Lord; adore Him then. This is the right way.

But the Sects have fallen to variance among themselves about Jesus: but woe, because of the assembly of a great day, to those who believe not!

Make them hear, make them behold the day when they shall come before us! But the offenders this day are in a manifest error.

Warn them of the day of sighing when the decree shall be accomplished, while they are sunk in heedlessness and while they believe not.

Verily, we will inherit the earth and all who are upon it. To us shall they be brought back.

Make mention also in the Book of Abraham; for he was a man of truth, a Prophet.¹⁸

When he said to his Father, “O my Father! why dost thou worship that which neither seeth nor heareth, nor profiteth thee aught?

O my Father! verily now hath knowledge come to me which hath not come to thee. Follow me therefore—I will guide thee into an even path.